The present invention relates to vessel closure devices, and more specifically, to a swing-top closure device for use with screw-top vessels.
There are a variety of devices for transporting draft beer, generally referred to as growlers. These devices are generally air-tight containers or vessels made of glass, ceramic or stainless steel and have either a screw-on top or a hinged porcelain gasket swing-top stopper.
Bottle closures are necessary for lessening the threat of spillage and/or spoiling of the beer, wine, spirit or other liquid contained inside a vessel, and come in many shapes, sizes, colors and materials. The right closure is a crucial element to preserving freshness and taste.
Screw caps are effective for containing the liquid inside of vessels, but oftentimes, if not applied or maintained properly, these caps can leak allowing air into the vessel, or gas out of the vessel, thereby damaging the product. Too much application torque can damage the cap or strip bottle threads, and too little torque may allow the cap to leak or vibrate loose during transport. Also, once the sealant on these screw caps begins to wear off, they can no longer be used effectively.
One solution to keep screw-top vessels from leaking is to use proper cap application and maintenance, keeping caps clean and free of debris, and making sure that when the manufacturer sealant begins to wear off the cap will no longer be used. Ideally, the cap should be thrown out between each use, but often that isn't cost effective. In short, a downside of screw-top vessels is the eventual failure of the cap, cost of cap replacement, and/or requirement of ongoing monitoring of cap integrity.
Vessels equipped with swing-top stoppers are desirable because they provide a secure seal to preserve freshness and taste longer, can be used multiple times before needing to be replaced, and are aesthetically pleasing in appearance. However, swing-top stoppers can only be used with compatible vessels, typically a vessel with a smooth spout but a circumferential ridge, or stop ring, capable of securing the lever wire and/or bail wire assembly in position when closed. Standard screw-top vessels with threaded lips are not compatible with standard swing-top stoppers. As used herein, “swing-top stopper” and the like, which typically have a bail wire in the center axis, shall generically also refer to “flip-top stoppers”, which typically have the bail wire on a side axis.
Screw-top vessels are a common design for beer growlers, in spite of the shortcomings of using screw caps as described above. Their popularity is largely based on availability, low cost, and ease of use of standard threaded glass vessels. Not surprisingly, screw-tops are standardly used with screw-top vessels due to compatibility. However, swing-top stoppers are actually superior closure devices with beer growlers, particularly due to swing-top stopper's ability to create a substantially gas impermeable seal.
As can be seen, it is desirable to combine the benefits of a screw-top vessel with the benefits of a swing-top stopper. It is desirable to have a closure system including a screw-top vessel with a swing-top stopper. It is desirable to have a closure device capable of converting a conventional screw-top vessel into a swing-top vessel. It is desirable that these devices and systems are efficient, inexpensive to manufacture and transport, easy to use, and can be used with a variety of screw-top vessels.